A carbon black derivative with liquid behavior

A carbon black derivative was prepared through a three-step procedure involving sonication-assisted oxidation, covalent grafting by a charged polysiloxane quaternary ammonium salt and ion exchange with a poly(ethylene) glycol-functionalized sulfonate salt. Such surface-functionalized carbon black can behave as a liquid at room temperature in the absence of any solvent. Transmission electron microscopy images reveal that, in contrast to the agglomeration behavior of the original carbon black, the derivative appears as monodisperse core–shell nanoparticles where the soft shell layer serves as a fluidization or suspending medium.